We might not have a full budget yet, but thanks to the hard work of legislators, the great state of Illinois can for the first time boast that it has an official artifact: the pirogue.

No, not the pierogi, the beloved stuffed Polish dumpling. The pirogue, a canoe made from a hollowed-out tree trunk.

Gov. Bruce Rauner — who had previously criticized a bill that made pumpkin pie the official state pie as a waste of time — signed the bill into law Friday.

His office did not respond immediately Monday to questions about what prompted Rauner to sign the bill, or about whether he planned to take the newly approved state artifact for a paddle.

But the bill's sponsor, state Rep. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, can take pride that the pirogue will now take its rightful place in state law alongside the official state dirt (Drummer silty clay loam, since you asked), the official state snack food (popcorn) and the official state amphibian (the eastern tiger salamander).

Fine was on vacation in South Korea on Monday and could not be reached for comment. Her legislative aide, Shiva Mohsenzadeh, said the idea came from an eighth-grader at St. Joseph School in Wilmette, whose research uncovered the fact that, unlike some other states, Illinois did not have an official artifact.

The students suggested the pirogue, which members of the Illini tribe historically used to navigate the region's rivers and lakes.

"The pirogue reflects the importance of Illinois waterways to our history and development, while also recognizing the state's namesake Native American tribe," Fine said in an April news release as the bill made its way through three committees, the House and the Senate on its five-month journey to becoming law.

Mohsenzadeh said Monday that Fine felt that despite the state budget crisis that was only temporarily averted by a stopgap deal in June, "other state matters need attending to," and "we can't just stop everything and say, 'Wait until the budget is passed.'"

Illinoisans looking to escape into the wilderness in their own dugout canoe will need a tree and a selection of hand tools — though a chain saw is said to make the process easier.